Synonyms of work
1
as in to cause
to be the cause of (a situation, action, or state of mind)
this new drug can really work wonders
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Relevance
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2
as in to solve
to find an answer for through reasoning
finally figured out how to work the math problem
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3
4
5
as in to drive
to set or keep in motion
this pump is worked by hand
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6
7
as in to struggle
to devote serious and sustained effort
the organization has worked for years to raise people's awareness of human rights issues
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8
as in to use
to take unfair advantage of
a young boy who worked his aunt for all she was worth in toys and candy when she visited once a year
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1
as in composition
a literary, musical, or artistic production
unfortunately, many of her works are now out of print
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2
as in production
something produced by physical or intellectual effort
the new Web application is the work of a pair of young but highly gifted programmers
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3
as in job
the action for which a person or thing is specially fitted or used or for which a thing exists
the work of a movie director is to tell a story through a series of striking images
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4
as in effort
the active use of energy in producing a result
put a lot of work into the project
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5
as in profession
the activity by which one regularly makes a living
what line of work are you in?
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Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of work
Ryan Ermey, CNBC, 28 Sep. 2025
The community-building efforts seem to be working—of the 100 people who've relocated so far, only six have left.
—Iona Brannon, Travel + Leisure, 28 Sep. 2025
Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 29 Sep. 2025
Alisha Johnson Wilder, Apple’s senior director of environment, policy, and social initiatives, said the company is proud to support the vital work of Empowerment Plan.
—Natalie Davies, Freep.com, 29 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for work
Verb
If any of this sounds like you, the traditional approach to managing money you’ve been taught may not work for you, says Ewalefo, herself a member of the neurodivergent community.
—Ryan Ermey, CNBC, 28 Sep. 2025
The community-building efforts seem to be working—of the 100 people who've relocated so far, only six have left.
—Iona Brannon, Travel + Leisure, 28 Sep. 2025
Noun
The pair are forced work together to solve a series of mysterious murders.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 29 Sep. 2025
Alisha Johnson Wilder, Apple’s senior director of environment, policy, and social initiatives, said the company is proud to support the vital work of Empowerment Plan.
—Natalie Davies, Freep.com, 29 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for work
Recent Examples of Synonyms for work
Verb
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The notion that vaccines cause autism was born out of a fraudulent 1998 study, hypothesizing that the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine caused intestinal inflammation, which, in turn, led to the development of autism.—
Mary Kekatos,
ABC News,
26 Sep. 2025
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Even an occasional rodent will appear, probably the single visitor that caused the suspension of the entire operation.—
Irv Erdos,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Who did it, how, and why, are the questions that both the protagonist and the readers try to solve simultaneously, normally without any expectations of realism.—
Anders de la Motte,
PEOPLE,
28 Sep. 2025
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This is an important first step to restoring trust for people in our democracy and its ability to solve our problems.—
Andrew Stanton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 Sep. 2025
Verb
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In addition to serving in the state Legislature, Wing is the owner of Wing Media Group, which produces outdoors programming.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
30 Sep. 2025
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As the first Black and Asian woman to serve as an NFL team president, Morgan is excited to continue the Raiders’ history of breaking the mold and setting new precedents.—
DeMicia Inman,
VIBE.com,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The reggaeton star’s ability to perform entirely in Spanish while topping charts globally has rewritten the rules of what mainstream success looks like.—
Kimberly Wilson,
Essence,
29 Sep. 2025
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Just players performing the task at hand and being aware of certain situations.—
Nicki Jhabvala,
New York Times,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
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While OpenAI says that scaling is key to driving innovation and future AI breakthroughs, investors and analysts are beginning to raise their eyebrows over the mindboggling sums.—
Lim Hui Jie,
CNBC,
29 Sep. 2025
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And entertainment, in my opinion, drives fashion culture.—
Jean E. Palmieri,
Footwear News,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The schools are considered public and receive taxpayer dollars, but operate differently from public schools that are run by a district.—
Bebe Hodges,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
28 Sep. 2025
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Some offer ergonomic designs, but all just need your elbow grease to operate.—
Luke Miller,
Better Homes & Gardens,
28 Sep. 2025
Verb
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In addition to market volatility, Generation X is struggling with inflation.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
27 Sep. 2025
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Hudson’s daughter, Ricky (Perry Mattfield), who works as an assistant coach, is a former track star who lost her confidence after an injury and now struggles to get the other Catfish coaches (including her dad) to take her seriously.—
Kristen Baldwin,
Entertainment Weekly,
26 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Opera has used the Neon name before for a concept browser back in 2017.—
James Peckham,
PC Magazine,
30 Sep. 2025
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Others, however, believed that Johnson used his access as leverage in dealing with Bukele.—
T. Christian Miller,
ProPublica,
30 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Work.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/work. Accessed 1 Oct. 2025.
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